American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Compiled by Niyati Acharya
The American White Pelican is a white bird with a yellow-orange bill, pouch, and legs. During the breeding season, this species develops keratin growths on its bills. These pelicans can be found on bodies of freshwater in the southern parts of Canada, central, western, and southern parts of the United States, as well as Mexico and Central America.
This is a huge waterbird with an overall length up to 70 inches, in part due to its huge beak, which measures up to 15 inches in males. It has a wingspan up to ten feet; the second-largest wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor. Body weight can range between 8 and 30 pounds. The bird’s massive bill gives it a unique, long shape and it is difficult to confuse them with any other bird.
American White Pelicans do not plunge-dive like Brown Pelicans do. White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They like to come together in groups of a dozen or more birds to feed. This allows them to cooperate and corral fish with one another. A floating group of pelicans, called a squadron, will feed in unison, dipping their heads in synchronized fashion, a captivating water ballet. Each bird eats more than four pounds of food daily. Crawfish and amphibians are potential prey.
American White Pelicans nest in isolated, sparsely vegetated terrestrial habitats, typically on islands in rivers, lakes, and freshwater marshes. In Oregon, colonies occur on both natural and human-constructed islands in freshwater lakes of the Great Basin, in marshes associated with Upper Klamath Lake, and on artificial islands in the freshwater zone of the lower Columbia River estuary. Nest sites vary in vegetation cover, but are often located near or among woody and herbaceous plants. At Lower Klamath Lake, nesting occurs on marsh vegetation, while at Malheur and Crump Lakes, the species nests on gravel surfaces of unvegetated artificial islands. During migration, American White Pelicans primarily use inland habitats, but rarely overwinter in the state. They use shallow-water areas for cooperative feeding.
American White Pelicans are sensitive to climate change through more variable spring weather in their breeding areas. Earlier migration of adults in the upper Plains has resulted in young chicks exposed to more variable weather, and higher frequency of breeding failures due to high mortality events during cold, wet weather. Increases in droughts could result in lower water levels allowing predator access to nesting islands potentially eliminating some nesting sites. This species is adapted to take advantage of changing situations; however, anomalous precipitation events could cause occasional flooding of colonies. Higher temperatures increase frequency of mortality events from Type C botulism.
The American White Pelican is identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) under the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The WDFW SWAP is part of a nationwide effort by all 50 states and five U.S. territories to develop conservation action plans for fish, wildlife and their natural habitats—identifying opportunities for species’ recovery before they are imperiled and more limited.
Sources include: Birdrescue.org, friendsofwheelernwr.org, swap.oregon.gov, wdfw.wa.gov
Photo credit: Foster, John, Menke, Dave/USFWS, Karney, Lee/USFWS, Hagerman NWR
